Warrior Geisha
A character concept project focused on learning and applying the full character design pipeline, from initial ideation and silhouette exploration through to refined design, colour, and final presentation.
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problem
The challenge was to build confidence in character concept design, an area I had limited direct experience in due to a background in technical art and modelling. While familiar with production pipelines, I wanted to better understand how characters are created from the ground up, including how ideas evolve into clear, readable and cohesive designs.
solution
Through the CGMA course, I followed a structured workflow starting with thumbnail exploration to establish strong silhouettes and direction. This was followed by iterative development across costume design, colour variation and form refinement, using each stage to test ideas, make decisions and build towards a cohesive final character.
Building a character from ideation to final design through structured exploration, iteration, and refinement.
The project began with broad thumbnail exploration, focusing on silhouette and overall shape to quickly establish a range of potential directions. This stage was critical in identifying strong visual foundations before committing to more detailed development.
From there, the process moved into refining form, costume and proportion, exploring different design variations to better understand how each decision impacted the overall identity of the character. Colour exploration followed, testing different palettes to define mood, contrast and readability.
Later stages focused on consolidating these decisions into a cohesive design, supported by turnaround views and final presentation imagery to ensure the character worked from multiple angles and maintained clarity.
The project was a valuable exercise in understanding how structured iteration supports creative decision-making, and how clear visual communication is maintained throughout each stage of development.
year
2023
category
Personal Studies
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